Municipal results announced yesterday put his party in first place in Almere, a region near Amsterdam, and second in The Hague, one of the country's largest cities and the seat of the Dutch government.

If repeated in national elections on June 9, the Freedom Party could win 27 out of 150 seats, becoming the largest single party and putting him in line to become prime minister and form a new government.

Mr Wilders has called Islam a backward religion, wants headscarves banned in public and has compared the Koran to 'Mein Kampf'. "We are going to conquer the entire country," he said.

"The Leftist elite still believes in multiculturalism, coddling criminals, a European superstate and high taxes. But the rest of the Netherlands thinks differently. That silent majority now has a voice."